What CAUSED division

 

JESUS warned:

Mark 3:24

King James Version

24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, 

that kingdom cannot stand.

What makes GOD rend a kingdom?

What causes great wrath in GOD?

What caused Israel to be divided?

Idolatry.

King Solomon had everything.

He had GOD, wisdom, and wealth.

And yes, the women.

The very thing which caused his downfall.

1 Kings 11:1-2

King James Version

11 But king Solomon loved many strange women, 

together with the daughter of Pharaoh, 

women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, 

Zidonians, and Hittites:

2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said 

unto the children of Israel, 

Ye shall not go in to them, 

neither shall they come in unto you: 

for surely they will turn away your heart 

after their gods: 

Solomon clave unto these in love.

1 Kings 11:3-4

King James Version

3 And he had seven hundred wives, 

princesses, and three hundred concubines: 

and his wives turned away his heart.

4 For it came to pass, 

when Solomon was old, 

that his wives turned away his heart 

after other gods: 

and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, 

as was the heart of David his father.

1 Kings 11:5

King James Version

5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth 

the goddess of the Zidonians, 

and after Milcom the abomination 

of the Ammonites.

1 Kings 11:6

King James Version

6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, 

and went not fully after the Lord, 

as did David his father.

1 Kings 11:7-8

King James Version

7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, 

the abomination of Moab, 

in the hill that is before Jerusalem, 

and for Molech, 

the abomination of the children of Ammon.

8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, 

which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

1 Kings 11:9-10

King James Version

9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, 

because his heart was turned 

from the Lord God of Israel, 

which had appeared unto him twice,

10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, 

that he should not go after other gods: 

but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.

The result?

GOD's wrath.

And a divided kingdom.

Ten tribes went to Jeroboam, Solomon's servant.

The remaining two tribes, to Rehoboam, Solomon's son.

"The tribe of Judah, Rehoboam's own tribe, alone remained faithful to him. Benjamin was reckoned along with Judah, and these two tribes formed the southern kingdom, with Jerusalem as its capital; while the northern ten tribes formed themselves into a separate kingdom, choosing Jeroboam as their king."

-- Christian Answers

Is everything lost?

GOD spoke through prophet Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 37:21

King James Version

21 And say unto them, 

Thus saith the Lord God; 

Behold, 

I will take the children of Israel 

from among the heathen, 

whither they be gone, 

and will gather them on every side, 

and bring them into their own land:

Ezekiel 37:22

King James Version

22 And I will make them one nation 

in the land upon the mountains of Israel; 

and one king shall be king to them all: 

and they shall be no more two nations, 

neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms 

any more at all.

Ezekiel 37:23

King James Version

23 Neither shall they defile themselves any more 

with their idols, 

nor with their detestable things, 

nor with any of their transgressions: 

but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, 

wherein they have sinned, 

and will cleanse them: 

so shall they be my people, 

and I will be their God.

Best of all?

There will be "one shepherd".

Ezekiel 37:24

King James Version

24 And David my servant shall be king over them; 

and they all shall have one shepherd: 

they shall also walk in my judgments, 

and observe my statutes, 

and do them.

GOD spoke through prophet Hosea, too.

The house of Judah will be saved.

Hosea 1:7

King James Version

7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, 

and will save them by the Lord their God,

and will not save them by bow, 

nor by sword, 

nor by battle, 

by horses, 

nor by horsemen.

GOD spoke through prophet Ahijah, as well.

The LORD had plans for the tribe of Judah.

1 Kings 11:32

King James Version

32 (But he shall have one tribe 

for my servant David's sake, 

and for Jerusalem's sake, 

the city which I have chosen 

out of all the tribes of Israel:)

King David, Solomon's father, comes from the tribe of Judah.

Who else comes from that line of David, and Judah?

The LORD JESUS.

The promised "deliverer".

The "one shepherd".

The "great high priest".

Hebrews 7:13-14

King James Version

13 For he of whom these things are spoken 

pertaineth to another tribe, 

of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

14 For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; 

of which tribe Moses spake nothing 

concerning priesthood.

Priests come from the tribe of Levi.

But JESUS came from the tribe of Judah.

Don't you love GOD's quirky, unpredictable ways?

No matter what, Satan couldn't wipe out the LORD's line.

GOD made sure of that.

Related material:

PRIEST from JUDA

ONE fold and ONE shepherd

GOD's quirky ways

SOLOMON's sin

The CONSEQUENCES of SOLOMON's sin

Solomon's FALL

DAVID and SOLOMON

Sin AWARENESS

Image: Free Bible Images

JACOB's PROPHECY on the LAST DAYS

 

Genesis 49:1-2

King James Version

49 And Jacob called unto his sons, 

and said, 

Gather yourselves together, 

that I may tell you that which shall befall you 

in the last days.

2 Gather yourselves together, 

and hear, 

ye sons of Jacob; 

and hearken unto Israel your father.

The BIBLE is very clear.

Jacob, also called "Israel", was the patriarch of the Israelites.

Before he gave up the ghost, he prophesied to his sons -- the 12 tribes of Israel.

Genesis 49:3-28

King James Version

3 Reuben, 

thou art my firstborn, 

my might,

 and the beginning of my strength, 

the excellency of dignity, 

and the excellency of power:

4 Unstable as water, 

thou shalt not excel; 

because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; 

then defiledst thou it: 

he went up to my couch.

5 Simeon and Levi are brethren; 

instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

6 O my soul, 

come not thou into their secret; 

unto their assembly, 

mine honour, 

be not thou united: 

for in their anger they slew a man, 

and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

7 Cursed be their anger, 

for it was fierce; 

and their wrath, 

for it was cruel: 

I will divide them in Jacob, 

and scatter them in Israel.

8 Judah, 

thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: 

thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; 

thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

9 Judah is a lion's whelp: 

from the prey, 

my son, 

thou art gone up: 

he stooped down, 

he couched as a lion, 

and as an old lion; 

who shall rouse him up?

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, 

nor a lawgiver from between his feet, 

until Shiloh come; 

and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

11 Binding his foal unto the vine, 

and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; 

he washed his garments in wine, 

and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

12 His eyes shall be red with wine, 

and his teeth white with milk.

13 Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; 

and he shall be for an haven of ships; 

and his border shall be unto Zidon.

14 Issachar is a strong ass couching down between two burdens:

15 And he saw that rest was good, 

and the land that it was pleasant; 

and bowed his shoulder to bear, 

and became a servant unto tribute.

16 Dan shall judge his people, 

as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, 

an adder in the path, 

that biteth the horse heels, 

so that his rider shall fall backward.

18 I have waited for thy salvation, 

O Lord.

19 Gad, 

a troop shall overcome him: 

but he shall overcome at the last.

20 Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, 

and he shall yield royal dainties.

21 Naphtali is a hind let loose: 

he giveth goodly words.

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, 

even a fruitful bough by a well; 

whose branches run over the wall:

23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, 

and hated him:

24 But his bow abode in strength, 

and the arms of his hands were made strong 

by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; 

(from thence is the shepherd, 

the stone of Israel:)

25 Even by the God of thy father, 

who shall help thee; 

and by the Almighty, 

who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, 

blessings of the deep that lieth under, 

blessings of the breasts, 

and of the womb:

26 The blessings of thy father 

have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors 

unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: 

they shall be on the head of Joseph, 

and on the crown of the head of him 

that was separate from his brethren.

27 Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: 

in the morning he shall devour the prey, 

and at night he shall divide the spoil.

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: 

and this is it that their father spake unto them, 

and blessed them; 

every one according to his blessing 

he blessed them.

Image: Pxfuel